ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spell — letters
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ground — a position
  7. craft — a skill
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. squash — to crush
  13. craft — boats
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ground — the earth
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com